Garlic Chicken and Wine

This recipe comes from a very funny book by the very funny and strange Amy Sedaris. The book is full of real recipes and funny craft ideas and anecdotes. It is called I Like You by Amy Sedaris Hospitality Under the Influence. It's kind of like Martha Stewart on crack. My favorite section is called "Panty Hose Crafts and Good Ideas". My son gave this to me for Christmas and I finally got down to making a recipe from the book and it turned out well. The flavor was really good and the chicken was very moist. I peeled my garlic, but that was the only change and I added the optional mushrooms. I did not use butter, because there was nothing in the instructions about it and I seasoned my chicken with salt and pepper before browning. You can go to http://www.amysedarisrocks.com/ for recipes, pics and audio.

Garlic Chicken and Wine

You will need:
One chicken , cut up
Bottle of dry white wine
Head of garlic
Salt and pepper
Oil and butter
Tiny amount of flour
1/3 cup of milk

Put some oil in a deep pot. Brown chicken pieces in batches until tanned. Remove chicken pieces to a plate. Keeping the pot over the heat, an the unpeeled garlic cloves and stir around. Return chicken to the pot and sprinkle a little flour on top. Pout in 1/2 bottle of white wine. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Season with salt and pepper. During the simmering time, you can add 1/3 cup of milk. You may also add mushrooms at the end of cooking time, if desired.
Oil and butter

Poppers

These are one of those impulse items that I typically do not buy. They were on the end of the frozen food section on special and I thought "why not?". Actually, they were pretty tasty for a cheap frozen food item. They are made by Heinz and are simply called Poppers. This box was the Cream Cheese Jalapeno flavor, there may have been different types. You just place them in a 450 degree oven for 6 minutes, turn them over and wait another 5 minutes and they are ready. They come out very crispy with a creamy center. They are very mild, almost too mild, but you can dip them in a spicy salsa to make up for that. 3 pieces have 220 calories, so they are not great for a diet. But what the heck, diets are meant for breaking anyway, right?!?

Egg in a Nest

In my vast collection of recipes, I saw this picture of an egg nestled in hash browns, but could not locate it when I wanted to prepare the dish. So I came up with this one. They turned out pretty tasty and you could use any type of cheese.

Egg in a Nest

1 cup refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes
1/3 cup Asiago Pressato cheese, shredded
2 eggs
seasoning salt and black pepper

Spray 2 ramekins (4 1/2 x 2) with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl combine potatoes and cheese; season with salt and pepper. Divide in half and place in ramekins; pressing into bottom and up the sides. Place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove ramekins and crack an egg into each. Season with salt and pepper and return to oven for ten minutes. After the 2nd 10 minutes put under broiler for 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

My sister Gina wanted to know how to roast broccoli. I pretty much do all my vegetables this way any more. just adjust oven temps, roasting times and seasonings. The basics are: clean and dry the vegetables;arrange in one layer on the baking sheet;drizzle with olive oil; salt, pepper, or other spices and place in the oven.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

2 broccoli stalks, florets removed, trimmed, rinsed and dried
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Place broccoli florets on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with seasonings and toss. Arrange in one layer and place in 375 oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

I roasted some broccoli the other night, (it seems that is how I cook all my veggies anymore) and decided to use the stalks for soup. I worked for a caterer once who did that and I thought what the heck. I had a couple of bunches, so I saved a few florets, peeled the stalks and prepared it the next night. I used the Joy of Cooking version for the most part, with some different spices and less broccoli. The recipe calls fro 1 1/2 pounds, I had 1. The soup turned out great, though. I Served it with meatloaf sandwiches. Vegetable broth could be used in place of the chicken broth.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

4 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. granulated toasted onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. broccoli, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
salt,pepper and smoked paprika to taste

Melt butter in soup pot over medium heat. Add granulated onion, garlic and broccoli. Cook for 5 minutes; stirring occasionally. Add flour, turn heat to high and slowly stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 25 minutes, until broccoli is tender. Process with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in cream, heat through but do not boil. Add seasonings to taste.

Prosciutto Panini

The other day I stayed home from work, we had a snow storm and I decided not to travel the 40 miles to my job. I decided to make a sandwich with the Rosemary Focaccia that I had baked the night before. I just sliced the bread and added prosciutto, sliced chicken, cheese and some Dijon mustard. I put it into my panini grill and loved it so much I made another for work the next day. The next evening we did the same thing, but used leftover meatloaf.

Meat Loaf

This recipe is adapted from the 75th Anniversary edition of Joy of Cooking. This is a great book that I turn to often. I was in the mood for meatloaf the other day , so I picked up 2 pounds of ground beef, thinking I would have all the other ingredients at home. I did not have an onion, but I had some granulated toasted onion from Penzey's so that would take care of the onion part. I changed the recipe a little, but based it on the cookbook. While eating this very tasty loaf of meat, I thought, "Hmm, sure tastes garlicky, but I did not use garlic". I promptly got up and went to the spice cabinet and found the problem. Instead of using the onion, I used dried garlic! This was not a bad thing, it actually tasted good, just a little bit of a surprise. My loaf pan has an insert for the actual loaf with holes that drain the fat into the lower section so you don't have to drain the grease off yourself.

Meat Loaf

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2/3 cup BBQ sauce
2/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. dried Italian herbs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Mix the ingredients with your hands until well blended. Fill the loaf pan with the mixture, mounding the top. Bake the loaf at 350, until firm to the touch and the loaf has pulled from the sides of the pan. A thermometer inserted in the center should read 160. This takes 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Rosemary Focaccia

This is a recipe I adapted from How To Bake by Nick Malgieri. I love baked goods, but am so bad at it. This book has some great tips for the baking challenged. I did change the recipe a little. After mixing the yeast mixture and milk mixture with the flour, he has you vigorously beat for 1 minute. There is no way you can incorporate the ingredients in that short amount of time. I topped my focaccia with dried rosemary from my garden, he used fresh rosemary sprigs. I also topped mine with cheese. The bread was a little denser than I would prefer, but overall the taste was great and the bread turned out beautifully. I will show a picture on a later post of a sandwich I made with the leftovers.

Rosemary Focaccia

1 cup warm tap water (about 110 degrees)
2 1/2 tsp (1 envelope) active dry yeast
6 tbsp olive oil
5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp dried rosemary, divided
1 cup milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Measure the water into a bowl and whisk in yeast, then 3 tablespoons olive oil. Measure the flour, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 tablespoon dried rosemary into a mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Add the yeast mixture and milk to the flour mixture and beat until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour, until doubled in bulk. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil on a 11 x 7 jelly roll pan. Turn the dough out onto the pan and pat and press it to fill the pan completely. Dimple the surface with your fingertip at 2 inch intervals to create cavities. Drizzle with remaining olive oil, rosemary and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Let the dough rise for another hour. Place the dough in a heated 450 degree oven on a rack set at lower third of oven. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Half way through baking, lift a side of the focaccia wit a spatula to check if browning to quickly on the bottom. If it is, place another pan under the bread to insulate. Sprinkle with the Parmesan in the last 10 minutes of baking time. Cut the bread into squares so you can make sandwiches with the leftovers.

Vodka Cream Tomato Sauce with Italian Sausage

The following is a vodka cream tomato sauce that I have been using lately. Last night I decided to add Italian sausage and mushrooms, both of which can be omitted. I serve the sauce over some Barilla Dried Ricotta and Spinach Tortelloni. It's great over any type of pasta and good in a baked pasta dish as well. If you don't use sausage make sure you use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to saute the shallot and garlic in.

Vodka Cream Sauce with Italian Sausage

1 lb. sweet bulk Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken broth
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes ( I use my hand immersion blender to puree them)
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
fresh basil, shredded

Heat a stock pot over moderate heat. Add sausage and brown, making sure to break up into bite size pieces. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon. Saute the garlic and shallots for 3 to 5 minutes in remaining fat. Add vodka to the pan and reduce by half. This should take about 5 minutes. Return sausage to pot along with broth, tomatoes and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cream. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove from heat. Toss hot pasta with basil and hot sauce.

Pollo Colorado

I got this recipe from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. The book has some very interesting recipes that you wouldn't normally think of for a slow cooker. For the longest time I was afraid of using a slow cooker, fearing I would come home to a house burned to the ground. I'm over that fear now, thinking that slow cookers are better made today than they were when I was growing up. Not that I ever heard of a house burning down from using one, just one of my many strange quirks. Anyway, this is a simple, simple recipe. I used the finished product in soft tacos one night and nachos another. I also used a local jarred enchilada sauce, because my local grocer did not have the one listed in the recipe. There is actually a recipe in the book for Red Chili Sauce, but that would make the recipe not as simple. I only used one onion and one red pepper and that was plenty, 2 of each would be a little overkill in my opinion.

Pollo Colorado

2 medium-size yellow onions, peeled
2 medium-sized red bell peppers, seeded
3 large or 4 medium-size individually frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (do not thaw)
1 (28 oz) can Las Palmas red chile sauce, hot, medium or mild, as desired

1. If you are going to eat pollo colorado as a stew, chop the onions and peppers into 3/4" pieces. If you are going to use it as an enchilada, burrito or taco filling, slice the onions and peppers. Put the vegetables in the cooker, tossing to mix well. Arrange the frozen chicken on top of the vegetables and pour over the chile sauce. Cover and cook on LOW until the chicken is tender, 5 to 7 hours.
2. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Cut into chunks if you are making stew; slice or shred if you are filling tortillas. Return to cooker and stir to coat with sauce and mix with vegetables. It will keep, refrigerated, for about 4 days.

I just shredded the chicken with 2 forks right in the cooker, no need to mess up a cutting board!

Snickers and the Super Bowl

I don't know how many of you watched the Super Bowl or saw the Snickers ad that has become so controversial. I saw the ad and at the time thought it was kind of silly. I did not realize that they had alternate endings on their web site that people could vote on. The winning ending would then be played during the Daytona 500. The original ad had two mechanics inadvertently kiss while eating the same candy bar and then pulling out chest hair to prove how manly they were. A stupid and silly premise for a commercial if you ask me. The problem that arises from this is the alternate endings that were up for vote on their web site. One was actually promoting a "gay bashing" mentality. They also showed reactions from some of the football players being grossed out by what appeared to be two men kissing. After protests, they removed the ad from television and all related things from their website. This is a good thing, but falls short because they will not apologize for it. When I sent a protest email, I received a standard "we were appealing to our core consumer, who loved the ad". I responded back, that I guess that even though I purchase their products, they must not consider me a core consumer. Personally, I will have no problem not buying Snickers or any other Mars products in the future. This just gives me another reason to watch what I eat, while I silently protest.

Risotto

One of my favorite comfort foods is Risotto. It works as a great main dish or a nice side dish. I love the creaminess of the rice and the flavors that can be added to it. It's also much easier to prepare than a lot of people think. I once took a cooking class with the Italian Grandmas called Tutti a Tavola. They said that risotto should be put in the pot with all the liquid and lidded for twenty minutes without stirring. I don't cook it that way myself, I love the stirring and and such. For me it's therapy, like washing dishes or mowing the lawn. I will put my basic risotto recipe here. It's one that can be added too, depending on what you have on hand. Sauteed mushrooms, peas, grilled chicken, pancetta, pre-blanched asparagus; the possibilities are endless. Just add the ingredients in with the final addition of broth. You can use vegetable broth when making this, I prefer chicken.

Risotto

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
32 oz. chicken broth, simmering in separate sauce pan
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbs. fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tbs. unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

In a heated skillet, add olive oil, then add shallots. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the white wine and simmer on low, stirring until liquid is absorbed by the rice. Start adding the hot chicken broth about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup at a time, stirring frequently until absorbed. Continue until all the broth is added. This should take 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from heat; add butter and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Baked Jalapeno Rice

I found this recipe amongst my vast collection of recipe cards and decided to try it out. I made some changes to it and came out with a good rice side dish. This can easily be halved to serve 4 people.

Baked Jalapeno Rice

2 cups uncooked rice
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 (10 oz) can Rotel Chunky Tomatoes and Green Chilis
2 cups lite sour cream
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare rice according to package directions, adding the butter. Add tomatoes, sour cream, onion soup mix, lime juice, salt and pepper and half of the cheese to the rice mix; stirring to mix. Pour into a 2 qt. rectangular baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Succotash

Late Saturday morning Dan and I decided to have a little brunch. We stopped in at Succotash at 15 E. 3 in the River Market. We had eaten there once before and thought we would go back. The place is fun and funky with really good food and good service too. Dan ordered the Cake & a Smile, which was a plate size pancake with 2 eggs for eyes and a bacon mouth. He had his made with the Cake of the Day, blueberry. It was very good and of coarse way too much food. I had the Veggie Wrap, which was 2 scrambled eggs, succotash, sun-dried tomato tampenade in a spinach wrap. This is what I had the other time, I wanted to branch out, but I remembered how good the succotash tasted and that was all she wrote. We split an order of house fries. They were nice wedges of fried potatoes without being too greasy. I had coffee and Dan had orange juice. The entire meal was under $20. It's a nice place to check out. When the weather turns warm you can sit outside and enjoy the goings on in the market.

The Cafe at Briarcliff Village

Last night we ate at the Northland's newest restaurant The Cafe at Briarcliff Village. Dan and I had such high hopes for this place, maybe they were too high. First of all, it comes to us from the Stone Canyon Pizza people. Stone Canyon serves up some of the best pizza in KC and is worth a drive to Parkville. Secondly, the head chef used to be with the Stolen Grill. Stolen Grill was our favorite restaurant before the owner actually stole the money and ran. Hands down, it was one of the best places we have ever eaten at. So all that said, our expectations may have been a little too high.
The Cafe is at 4125 N. Mulberry in The Briarcliff Village. The restaurant serves breakfast , lunch, dinner and a brunch. The cafe is very nice and has a full service restaurant and little takeout cafe. The bar is small, but they offer a good selection of wines and beers. Our server, Bryan, was very knowledgeable and good.
We started out with the Baked Brie ($9). It is served in Brioche bread over fresh spinach, with a Cognac jelly and roasted garlic. It was very good, but the garlic was hard as a rock and not spreadable. Dan had the small Ceasar Modena salad ($6) and I had the small Greens Salad ($6). They were both very good and good sized salads. Dan ordered the Salmon Grill ($18) that comes with Chanterelle mushrooms and risotto. The salmon was very good, moist but fully cooked and the Chanterelles were good and meaty. The risotto was awful, undercooked, pasty and flavorless. Dan told this to our server and the manager came over to ask about it. He asked Dan if he just did not like risotto, Dan said he loved risotto but this was bad. He said he would tell the chef. The server did offer to bring a different side, but Dan declined. I had the Fire Roasted Pork Chop ($15) with Lady Apples, potato du jour and vegetables. I do not know what Lady apples are, but I just realized there were none on my plate! The chop was okay, I did not taste a fire- roasted flavor, but the sauce was good. The potatoes were good, a couple of croquettes I believe. The veggies were green beans and carrots.
I still think this place has potential and will try it again, but you expect an $80 meal to be much better than this. This could have been a bad night for them. They have been open for ten days, so the food should be coming out perfectly in my opinion. One other thing that bugged me on the menu was that the Salad Nicoise and the Cassoulet had the pronunciations in parenthesis.It may just be me, but I thought that was odd. I guess if all else fails, they can serve pizza.

Glazed Carrots

The other night I prepared steaks and was looking for a side dish to serve. I had some carrots in the fridge and thought I would make some glazed carrots. They are so easy to make and it seems that there are always carrots in the refrigerator, so it was an easy fit. We love eating them and Gabby likes them too.

Glazed Carrots

6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a saucepan of water to boil and add the carrots. Boil for 5 minutes; drain and return to pan. Add butter and brown sugar, salt to taste and a good grind of black pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes. Serves 2.